Commissioner for Personal Data Protection, Irine Loizidou Nikolaidou, Executive Director of the University of Limassol, Ioanna Panagiotou, and General Secretary of the Cyprus Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Philokypros Roussounides, have signed a consortium agreement for the co-funded Data ProTech project which aims at protecting personal data when using artificial intelligence.
In a joint statement, they say that the Data ProTech project – “Supporting Data Protection Compliance in AI Technology Usage by Cyprus SMEs” aims to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the field of personal data protection when using artificial intelligence. It is implemented within the framework of the European Citizens, Equality Rights and Values CERV-2024-DATA program. The project has a duration of two years and will receive European funding of €250,000.
It is noted that the Data ProTech project will strengthen the capabilities of small and medium-sized enterprises in Cyprus to comply with the General Data Protection Regulation, (EU) 2016/679 and the European Regulation on Artificial Intelligence, (EU) 2024/1689.
Main activities of the project include the conduct of a comprehensive survey of the use of artificial intelligence by small and medium-sized enterprises and the identification of the criteria that must be met for compliance with the above Regulations. Based on these activities, an electronic tool, user-friendly and easily accessible, will be developed, through which enterprises will conduct a self-assessment of their compliance with the Regulations.
Moreover, training seminars will be held for small and medium-sized enterprises on the use of this tool.
It is noted that despite the fact that the target of the program and the tool that will be developed are small and medium-sized enterprises in Cyprus, the tool can also be used by larger enterprises, both in Cyprus and at the European level.
(Source: CNA)